At the beginning of this year, strategies were forged to replace millions of lead pipes distributing drinking water across the country over the next 10 years.  Congress, the EPA, the CDC, and other entities made efforts to make funds available through grants and low-interest loans that can be used for water testing, repair or replace water infrastructure, and innovations for sustainability.  

Experts agree that lead in drinking water is irreversibly health-damaging, and the potential exposure is significant, with lead pipes distributing water to over 10 million households and over 400,000 schools and daycare centers nationwide.  With such devastating and lethal effects, it is sobering and unfortunate to discover water contamination plaguing Delaware schools.  Unfortunately, lead in the water is not contained to the school district.

Delaware Water Infrastructure

The Natural Resource Defense Council, Inc. (NRDC) estimates 9.7 to 12.8 million pipes across the US may contain lead – even the states that say they don’t.  Inaccurate state data exacerbates the problem despite the enormous health liabilities.  The NRDC features this infographic on its website:

In an attempt to discover the capacity of lead exposure,  the NRDC contacted the authorities in each state and found that only 10 of the 50 could provide lead pipe tracking information:  

• Alaska
• Califonia
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Mississippi
• New Jersey
• Oregan; and
• Wisconsin

This information makes it understandable that contamination in Delaware schools is coming to light with water testing efforts. However, what we don’t know is the extent of the problem.  Surprisingly, when the EPA introduced the Lead and Copper Rule in  1991, more states did not implement water testing to find and mitigate violations.  

In 2018, Congress introduced the Safe Drinking Water Act which directed the EPA to estimate the number of lead pipes by state.  To accompany this reporting, the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) was established to supply grants to replace infrastructure that endangered the public by 2022.  

As we near the end of 2022, only a few states have reported tracking much less remedying problems.  Some are still testing and uncovering the extent of the problem.  As more water tests are done, the replacement of lead piping becomes more formidable and nowhere near completion.  Sadly, the potential exposure is not limited to the Delaware school system.  Health risks are a genuine concern.

The Health Dangers of Lead Exposure

High lead levels in the water supply are a public health concern because lead is a potent neurotoxin.  As such, the CDC instructs there is no safe level of exposure, especially for children.  Lead has been linked to irreversible damage in:

• Brain functions and development (learning disabilities)
• Nervous system
• Blood cell damage
• Reproductive organs & infertility
• Kidney functions
• Cardiovascular disease
• Impaired hearing
• High blood pressure

The seriousness of public harm cannot be understated, and yet the sense of urgency to rehabilitate water infrastructure is not priority one.  Millions of people are exposed every day.  In 2016, the state conducted a self-survey in yet another attempt to uncover the extent of exposure.  Delaware reported approximately 16,000 lead service lines, about 1,700 lines per 100,000 people.  With the health threats above, one line is too much. 

The EPA’s website published the following:

The city of Wilmington has the highest rate of children with elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) in Delaware, with three zip codes (19805, 405 elevated BLLs; 19802, 310 elevated BLLs; 19801, 205 elevated BLLs) in the city of Wilmington having the highest number of children with elevated BLLs between 2010 and 2017.

The problem is extensive, yet many were unaware of it until the recent water testing in schools, 50 of which were above shutoff limits.  Delaware has set up a page of transparency to report the results and plans of action [HERE].  What other help is there?

Get Help to Remedy Lead Contamination

Delaware is aligned with several solutions as the lead exposure is being mapped out. Some cities in Delaware are diligently testing water and researching the number of lead pipe systems, such as Rehoboth Beach.  The Delaware Rural Water Association contributes to public knowledge through information and training on its website.  State officials have recommended lead screenings and posted information on the State Health Site.

The EPA also provides solutions with its website featuring:

• Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF)
• Funding and Technical Resources for Lead Service Line Replacement in Small and Disadvantaged Communities
• HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
• Assistance for Small and Disadvantaged Communities Grant 
• Lead Testing in School and Child Care Drinking Water Grant 
• Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Grant
• Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA)
• Additional Lead in Drinking Water Funding 

According to their website, qualifying projects are:

Infrastructure Replacement: Complete service line replacement is an eligible DWSRF expense, regardless of pipe material and ownership of the property on which the service line is located. The entire service line from the public water main to the point at which it connects with premise plumbing is DWSRF-eligible.

Corrosion Control Optimization: Corrosion control planning and design, as well as associated capital infrastructure projects, are eligible for DWSRF loan funding. States may also use set-aside funds to assist water systems’ development of corrosion control strategies (e.g. adding chemicals to modify drinking water chemistry).

Lead Testing and Education: States can use set-aside funds to present workshops, seminars, and other training events that provide operators with ongoing educational opportunities. Set-aside activities for educational purposes may include training school staff members or small system operators on how to perform lead monitoring and testing. Pilot testing and lead sampling (if not for compliance purposes) may also be eligible for set-aside funding.

Interim/Emergency Protocols: In the case of a “do not drink” order or other lead emergencies, states may use set-aside funds for limited infrastructure that is necessary for trucked-in water (i.e., storage tank and associated piping). This infrastructure must belong to the water system and ownership must continue after the emergency has concluded. Trucked-in water and bottled water are ineligible for DWSRF assistance.

Who Is At Risk and Should Test?

In a perfect world, it wouldn’t be needed.  In the worst-case scenario-everyone.  Although lead pipes are not allowed as of recently, we don’t know where they are, so the cautionary answer is schools, daycare centers, homeowner associations, residences, industrial parks, commercial buildings, landlords, tenants – the population.  The truth is that you don’t know until you do.  The facts are no records have been kept until recently required. The sad truth is funding is limited.  

As a vested partner of the community Standard Pipe Services can help navigate problems within our scope of services and will continue to offer inflow/outflow inspections and water collection services for pathogen testing.  If you want to collaborate on a project, contact us or follow us on LinkedIn and FaceBook.